Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm in need of a little advice on my first woma....
I've read as much as I could find on their care and handling and was able to get my hands on a nice male. He's about 4 months old and once he's out of the cage, he handles very well- a little nervous, but no attemts to strike.
Once I put him back in his cage (a 3 foot vision model), he immediately gets into the S position and begins striking at the glass anytime something moves in front of it. If I use a hook and take him out, he calms down immediately.

Is this just his feeding response or are they naturally very defensive? Is this something he'll grow out of and what do I need to do to 1)keep him from hurting himself and 2) keep me from getting bit.
If I cover the glass with a towel he stops, but I can't leave it covered all the time.

any advise would be much appeciated. Thanks!

Steve

I have a young female that does the same. Do you have a hide box in the cage? That helps.
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
0.1 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
1.0 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

Look at it like this, when you were 4 months old just about anything would scare you and make you cry. Its the same for our little friends, they need to feel totally secure in their enclosure. They will hide, strike, hiss, and generally be unhappy unless they have a secure environment in which they feel safe. They typically grow out of this by their first year, and thats with a hide, some are just demons that never change. Put a choice of hides in the enclosure and see which one the snake gravitates towards then remove the rest or maybe leave one extra at the cooler/warmer end of enclosure. I would also consider placing the cage in a low traffic area of your room, that will help too.
Good luck they are excellent snakes!

Lateralis

I had a female, 6', that would not respond to anything. My current 3.5' female is not quite as bad, but hates to be picked up, and startles easily. We have to remember that both Aspidites are very tactile snakes, as snakes that spend a lot of time underground can be. Even touching is a signal for them to push against the object. My male is a kitten....
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
0.1 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
1.0 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC